Medications

Heart Valve Problems: Mitral Insufficiency

Mitral insufficiency means your mitral valve has problems closing. This lets blood leak back through the valve. A small amount of leaking blood rarely leads to problems. But severe cases can cause damage to the heart as the leaking of blood causes the blood to have to be pumped twice.

Closed mitral valve with insufficiency (viewed from above).

Possible causes of mitral insufficiency

Causes may include:

Heart damage from rheumatic fever or other disease

Aging

Mitral valve prolapse

Damage after a heart attack

Treating mitral insufficiency

Medicines may be prescribed. These help the heart work better. In severe cases, heart valve surgery may be needed to repair or replace the valve.